Teen electrocuted as Istanbul floods surge, killing one and halting traffic

A 14-year-old boy, known only by the initials M.I., was electrocuted after stepping into floodwater at Çukurbostan Park in Istanbul's Balat neighbourhood and died despite hospital treatment. The torrential rain produced 1,277 flooding incidents, 15 landslides, 47 stranded individuals, 13 fallen trees and damage to roofs, while 2,518 weather-related calls were recorded. Heavy precipitation peaked in Beykoz's Ömerli area with 193.84 kg/m², and significant rainfall was also measured in Arnavutköy, Sarıyer, Çatalca, Kartal and Bakırköy. A crisis coordination centre was set up at the Istanbul Regional Directorate of AFAD, mobilising around 8,000 staff and 2,000 vehicles and machines from AFAD, the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality and district municipalities.

Schools were closed for Thursday, motorcycles were barred from roads, and Governor Davut Gül warned residents, especially on the Asian side, to stay cautious. Traffic congestion hit roughly 90% during the evening rush hour, though no roads were officially closed and airport operations continued normally.